Paradise Destination Wedding

Romantic and Exotic Destination Wedding

Want a romantic and sunset paradise island for your wedding?

Destination wedding is your perfect answer. Whether you want a private secluded beach or mountain ski resort or exotic mixed cultural or a lavish wedding, honeymoon cum vacation for your extended family and friends, it really depends on your wedding style.

1. How to Get Started

First, you will have to ask yourselves these questions: Are you thinking of getting married at an overseas resort for just the two of you? Are you inviting a small, initmate group of family and friends to celebrate with you? Or are you thinking of inviting the whole gang to your destination wedding?

Let your immediate family and those you intend to be in the wedding party know about your plans. You can have an idea how many people can make it to your destination wedding so that you can plan your wedding and budgeting.

Choose the location to suit your wedding style and wedding theme. For example, you may be looking for a beach, cruise or mountain ski resort wedding. Then you will have to plan for your wedding gowns, wedding decorations, and the rest of the celebration details according to the climate, culture and style. (You may not want to wear a full ball gown with long sleeves to a beach wedding or a spaghetti strap gown to a mountain ski resort).

2. Early Planning and Research

Start your wedding planning and research straight away. You will save yourself the pain (especially financially) and frustrations of not finding out the vital information about the wedding destination. As a foreigner, you must brave yourselves with a ceratin degree of risks and uncertainities, as well as language and cultural differences, weather, food, facilities and expectations of "quality" service. Do your research online/blogs and find out the experiences of couples who has "been there and done that".

3. Budgeting and Engage Destination Wedding Planner

If you are just having a marriage ceremony for just the two of you, the budgeting process is less complicated. You have the flexibility of making decisions based on the the last minute changes and it will not involved a lot of logistics changes and concerns about other people's feelings. However, if you are planning for your extended family and friends to attend, you will need to consider whether you are paying for all expenses or part of it (ie air ticket and accommodation). Are you paying for all your guests or only the wedding party? Who will be paying for who? For example, the groom's family will pay for the groomsmen while the bride's family will pay for all the bridesmaids.

Whether you or your guests are paying for part or all of the expenses, you do need to negotiate for a group discount for air or cruise tickets, hotel or resort fees. Do take note that some group discounts may not be as good as individual fare offers and they have a total number for you to fulfill the requirement for the discount.

Considering that you do have a wedding ceremony and all the stress of the preparations for a destination wedding, you may want to consider the services of an experience destination wedding planner. They will be able to handle all the logistics, provide information and ensuring that all legal processes are done plus weaving through the complex procedures of the foreign land, providing you with the education and information on the culture and language differences. They are also equipped to entertain your guests and making them comfortable. All these allows you to enjoy your wedding and time to relax and prepare for your big day.

4. Visit and Ask Lots of Questions

If possible, do a tour of the entire place. Check out the weather, scenary of the site of where the wedding ceremony is being held. If you are looking for an outdoor event, do ask what's the alternative plans. Discuss and ask lots of questions, even if you think it is silly. Get to see the band, the DJ, the entertainer and even the marriage officiant and check out all details.

Write down all the questions and ensure that you get all of them answered before you leave. (After all you come all the way, the service providers should oblige you).

Good service providers should give you a list of FAQs for foreign clients and also a cultural guide for overseas wedding. If you have an experienced wedding planner with you, he or she should be able to negotiate some good prices and getting extra services without paying extra. All good service providers will be giving you advise in addition to all your questions.

5. Be Patient and Flexible

Some foreign country's work culture and pace is quite different. If you are used to the "fast food" culture type of service, you may need to readjust your expectations on the speed in which another culture is used to. There may be some things that you have specified earlier over the phone but the output is the opposite of you what imagined, you may have to laugh it off or get an alternative. (For example, you may require rose for your wedding but they couldn't find enough of it and they replace it with a local flower - will you insist?)

6. Bring Your Own Professionals

Why stress yourself trying to explain to a foreign photographer or wedding decorations service provider or the destination wedding planner or the makeup artist? Bring you own professionals that you trust! That will be your best bet for great results that you want to achieve. Your success depends on these professionals who will help etch your most treasured and beautiful moment of your life in everyone's memory forever.

7. Pack and Courier Services

Do made an extensive packing list for your destination wedding. Do not leave out any item as you may not find the same one in a foreign land. Arrange for courier to deliver some non critical items at least a month ahead and contact your hotel or resort to hold it for you. You may indicate in your wedding invitations that all wedding gifts to be sent to your home after the ceremony, so it saves you the headache of lugging so many gifts back home. Arrange for close family members or friends to help you with some of the luggage. Courier back the rest of the non essential items.

8. Arrive Early

The couple should arrive a few days earlier together with their maid-of-honor and best man and immediate family members to ensure that all paperwork are done and ensure that all the details are set and done accordingly to your agreement. Ideally, a wedding rehearsal the day before the big event is done so that all parties involved understand their part and are familiar with the venue. It is also a chance to get pass the jet lag and weather differences. Couples my get to relax at a spa to prepare themselves for the big day.

Congratulations! Have a wonderful and memorable paradise destination wedding.

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